A simple coat of paint
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 8:52PM We've now been in the new house for almost 3 months...a trimester.. a quarter of a year... and people keep asking me how I'm settling in. The truth? It's been a little hard. Jason and I are "beach shack" people. Living together, we have gone from a 700 sq foot duplex in Solana Beach to a 1000 sq ft townhouse in Del Mar to a 1400 sq ft (but on about a 1/2 acre of land) Mid-Century Modern "classic San Diego beach bungalow" in Encinitas, all west of the 5 (which, in San Diego, pretty much means minutes from the beach). All of our houses were old, but they all had tons of character. Now we are in this behemoth of a new house, with granite tiles and nice carpet and more bathrooms than bedrooms...and I'm lost.
Don't get me wrong, the house is beautiful. I guess the problem is that it's too beautiful and grand for me. I'm the girl who shopped Ikea for ideas on "how to make the most of a small space," not the one desperate for big furniture to fill a room. More than anything it's a different frame of mind, having a nice house opposed to a funky house, and that's one that I'm not used to.
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with my Mom's friend, one of those people with an amazing eye for design and who used to (back in the real estate heyday) flip houses in LA. I told him I was having a hard time settling in and he gave me the best piece of advice...he told me to paint a wall.
Simple enough to do, and according to him, the best way to claim your new house as your own - a marking your territory type thing. He said to pick a wall and paint it a bright color. Even if it doesn't stay forever, pick a color that you love and makes you happy and paint a wall. I thought about that for the next 4 days. Then I went to Home Depot and asked them to whip me up a gallon of "Tiffany Blue" paint.
And I painted my wall. And I freaking love it.
Picture by Patty at Petula Pea Photography
And, for the first time in over 3 months, I'm beginning to feel at home.
Home Decor, Paint, Tiffany Blue in Design Whore, Family, Images of life 
Reader Comments (8)
I love this wall!! I also love all the pictures in front of the wall!
Oh my GOD that looks amazing, and I'm totally going to do the same thing. We've been here four months and I still sort of dislike my icky 80's oak paneling, tile that never looks clean, and the fake plastic wood floors. But we're too wiped out to do any remodeling (physically and financially) so I've been pushing that desire to the back burner.
But! I can paint a wall! Stay tuned...
It looks AMAZING. I love the color. Style is what you make it!
I've been trying to find the perfect color. Hubby and I can't agree on a color. He wont let me paint the living room/dining room/breakfast room/kitchen. But I CAN paint a wall in the bedroom... IF we could figure out a paint color. Le Sigh
Glad you're starting to feel at home!! :)
That is a BEAUTIFUL, rich color!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! This color is perfection!!! Especially next to the white, it's just breathtaking!
love this! i just tound your blog through house of turquoise. i'll be following!
question- do you mind sharing where your couch is from?! my husband and i are shopping for a new one and i looove yours.
Couch looks like the one I bought at The Bay, same colour and all.